Supplemental wager methods and apparatus

ABSTRACT

Described herein are various principles relating to a method for betting comprising offering a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event, receiving indication that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line, and offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.

BACKGROUND

The gambling industry provides numerous ways by which bets can be placed on a wide variety of events. For example, betting on the outcome of horse races has been a popular form of gambling for centuries. More recently, comprehensive sports betting has developed into a sophisticated and lucrative industry popular amongst sports fans and gambling enthusiasts alike. Betting has expanded to include everything from familiar sports betting to more esoteric bets such as dead pools and the outcome of political elections.

In a typical betting scenario, one entity offers up a bet associated with a particular event and another entity places a desired amount of money on the bet in the hopes that a particular outcome will result from the event to which the bet is associated. An event may be anything that has an unknown outcome at the time the bet is established and/or placed and that will have some unambiguous outcome thereafter, some examples of which are described below. The entity offering a bet is referred to herein as the bookmaker or “bookie,” and may include an individual, an online gambling service, a casino, or any other source capable of offering a bet. The entity that places the bet is referred to herein as the bettor. There are a variety of methods by which a bookie can offer a bet, including, but not limited to, odds betting, line betting (including spreads) and straight betting. The type of bet that is used may depend on the type of event to which the bet is associated.

Odds betting is often used when one side of a wager is more likely to occur than the other, sometimes significantly so, or when an outcome of an event upon which a bet is established is relatively unlikely (or likely) to occur. Odds are typically set proportional to the degree of difference in the likelihood of one side of a wager occurring over the other and/or proportional to the degree of unlikelihood (or likelihood) that an outcome of an event on which a bet is placed will occur. In odds betting, the payout (i.e., the amount owed when a bettor wins) is typically the stake (i.e., the amount bet) multiplied by the odds. For example, when a bet is placed on a particular outcome with 100-to-1 odds, a 10 dollar stake will result in a 1000 dollar payout should the bet come in for the bettor. A bookie may be willing to risk the relatively high payout due to the correspondingly small chance that the bet will come in for the bettor and the correspondingly high likelihood that the bettor will lose and the bookmaker will pocket the stake along with (typically) the vigorish (often referred to simply as the “vig,” the “juice” or the “take”). The vig refers to an additional amount of money that a bookie charges for providing his/her services. Odds betting may be appealing to the gambler or bettor due to the potential of a large payout at relatively low stakes.

Sports betting often involves betting on the outcome between individual players, multiple players or teams. The term “competitor” is used herein to describe both singular and plural parties participating in a sporting event or game, whether the parties involved are single individuals, multiple players or teams. Sporting events or games often take place between unequally matched competitors. Thus, a straight bet on which competitor will win and which competitor will lose may not be attractive to a bookie. To facilitate betting in view of unequally matched competitors, sports betting often relies on spreads that handicap a stronger competitor by assigning the weaker competitor a designated number of points to, in a sense, level the playing field.

Spreads may be particularly well suited for sporting events or games that are scored such that the winner is the competitor with the highest or lowest score at the end of the game. The spread is assigned by the bookie and is his/her assessment of how dominant the stronger competitor is over the weaker competitor. Initially, the spread may be indicative of the bookie's guess as to how many points the weaker team will lose by. A bettor may then bet against the spread by choosing one side of the spread or the other depending on how accurately the bettor feels the line defines the actual outcome of the event/game.

As example of spread betting, a bookie considering a game between Competitor A and Competitor B may believe that Competitor A will win by N points and therefore establish a spread of N points, wherein N may be an integer or a non-integer value as discussed in further detail below. The bettor can then either take Competitor A (meaning the bettor believes that Competitor A will win by more than N points) or take Competitor B (meaning that the bettor believes that Competitor B will lose by less than N points, or win the game) in the wager offered by the bookie. Typically, spread betting is conducted without odds (although this is not a limitation). That is, the payout is the same as the stakes should the bettor win. Should the bettor lose, the bettor forfeits the stakes and usually pays an associated vig.

Line betting is a more general concept that includes spreads (i.e., a spread is one form in which a line can take). A line refers herein to one or more values characteristic of or predicting an outcome of an event that a bettor can choose to place a bet on one side of the line or the other, depending on how well the bettor believes the line predicts the outcome of the event. For example, a spread is a line characteristic of or predicting the score differential between competitors at the end of a game or at some other designated time or interval.

Lines may also refer to a number of occurrences of an event during a game (e.g., fumbles, touch down passes, interceptions, three point field goals, blocked shots, statistics of a particular player, etc.) or the total accumulated scores of one or both competitors at the end of the game or some other designated time or interval. The latter type of bet is often referred to as an over/under bet as a bettor decides whether he/she believes the outcome will be over or under the established line. The number of lines that can be (and often are) set and offered as wagers are virtually limitless.

Lines (including spreads) are often used to allow a bookmaker to manage wins and losses. Ideally, the bookmaker would have the same amount of money placed on both sides of a bet. Under such circumstances, whatever the outcome of the event/game, the bookmaker's wins and losses cancel each other out and the bookmaker profits the vig summed over all of the bettors who lost the wager. A bookmaker can attempt to artificially create this equilibrium by changing the line during the interval between the time the wager is first offered and the time the game or event begins. By monitoring how much money is at stake on both sides of the bet, the bookmaker can change the line to make the side having less at stake more attractive to bettors to coax bettors in a desired direction to even out the stakes on both sides of the bet.

Bookmakers and bettors alike typically do not profit from a tie and therefore such situations are typically unattractive to both parties. For example, if a bookmaker establishes a line at Team A by N points and Team A wins by exactly N points, the wager is a push and neither the bookmaker nor the bettor wins. To avoid pushes, bookmakers often use non-integer or fractional lines set at an impossible outcome. Take for example the circumstance in which the line is a spread and the game/event on which the bet is established is scored using integer values. As a result, the score differential between the competitors in the game/event will also be an integer value and a non-integer or fractional difference will never occur. Thus, bookmakers will set the line at a non-integer value such that the actual difference in the scores cannot exactly match the spread. For example, rather than establishing a spread at Team A by 7, the bookmaker will set the spread at Team A by 6.5, thereby avoiding the possibility of a push. The same principle applies to any line in which the outcome will necessarily take an integer value.

SUMMARY

Described herein are various principles relating to offering a supplemental bet in connection with a base bet placed on a line.

Some embodiments include a method for betting comprising offering a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event, receiving indication that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line, and offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.

Some embodiments include at least one computer readable medium having instruction stored thereon, the instructions, when executed on at least one processor, performing a betting method comprising offering a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event, receiving indication that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line, and offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.

A computer system for placing bets comprising at least one input to receive an indication that a bettor has placed a bet, at least one computer readable medium to store at least one bet having an associated line, and at least one processor coupled to the at least one input and the at least one computer readable medium, the processor configured to offer a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event, receive indication from the at least one input that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line, and offer a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a betting method, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an online betting environment in which one or more embodiments of the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a computer that may be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a betting environment by which one or more embodiments of the invention may be implemented;

FIG. 4B is a flowchart of a method of implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention in the betting environment illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a diagram of an automatic betting device on which one or more embodiments of the invention may be implemented; and

FIG. 5B is a flowchart of a method of implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention on the automatic betting system illustrated in FIG. 5A;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Gamblers are often attracted to betting systems that allow for a variety of bets, both in complexity and in kind. For example, win, place, show, each way, perfecta, trifecta and superfecta are just a few of the hundreds of bets that can be placed on horse racing or dog racing and that have intrigued casual bettors and gambling enthusiasts alike. In more modern sports betting, parlays, teasers, birdcages, A&R box, over/under betting, etc., provide a variety of bets and combinations of bets that may interest a bettor. Variety in betting allows bettors to attempt to hedge and also may provide the illusion that the bettor can design a winning betting system. It is typically to the bookmakers advantage to offer a bettor as many betting opportunities as possible. Thus, offering a variety of bets may be attractive to both bookmakers and bettors.

Applicant has appreciated that offering a supplemental bet to a base bet may be attractive to bettors and therefore beneficial to bookmakers. Applicant has recognized that combining line betting and odds betting may be particularly attractive to sports bettors. For example, offering a supplemental odds bet to a line bet may be attractive to bettors because of the relatively high payout potential for relatively low stakes. Similarly, such an offering may be attractive to bookmakers in that they can set the odds of the supplemental bet to favor the bookmaker.

According to some embodiments, a supplemental odds-based bet is offered in connection with placing a base bet having an associated line. In some embodiments, the supplemental bet may be a wager that the outcome of an event on which the base bet was placed will equal the line established by the bookmaker for the bet. In other embodiments involving non-integer lines, the supplemental bet may be a wager that an outcome will fall on the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet. In some embodiments, the line is a spread. In some embodiments, the supplemental bet is offered with odds.

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and embodiments of, methods and apparatus according to the present invention. It should be appreciated that various aspects of the invention described herein may be implemented in any of numerous ways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only. In addition, the various aspects of the invention described in the embodiments below may be used alone or in any combination, and are not limited to the combinations explicitly described herein.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of offering a supplemental bet in connection with a base bet placed against a line, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. A base bet placed against a line refers to any bet placed on one side or the other of a line, for example, a line established by a bookmaker. The line may be a spread, an over/under line or any other line established in connection with any type of outcome of any type of event. In some embodiments, the supplemental bet may be one or more additional bets related to the accuracy of the line in predicting the outcome of the event, as discussed in further detail below.

In act 110, one or more bets are offered to any number of bettors, at least one of the bets having a line, for example, established by a bookmaker. The term “offer” in connection to a bet refers to the act of displaying and/or presenting bets to a bettor such that the bettor can ascertain the parameters of the bet. Accordingly, a bet can be offered by an individual, a computer or any other entity capable of conveying a bet and its parameters. As discussed above, a bookmaker may be an individual, a casino, an online gambling service or one or more computers associated with any of the above entities, as the aspects of the invention are not limited in this respect.

In act 120, an indication is received that a bettor has placed a bet against the line of a base bet having an associated line by indicating which side of the line the bettor believes the outcome of the event will result. By placing the bet, the bettor agrees to the parameters and payout arrangement established by the bet. It should be appreciated that the stake need not be rendered to the bookmaker at the time the bet is taken, but in some embodiments the stake will be transferred upon placing the bet, or the stake may reside in a designated account or held in escrow, as discussed in further detail below. In some embodiments, the bettor may receive confirmation that the bet was placed such as a ticket or receipt, although this is not a limitation on the invention (e.g., in telephone betting, the transaction may consist of the bettor indicating, via a telephone call with a bookie or agent, which bet the bettor wants to take, stating which side of the line the bettor would like to wager on, and indicating how much the bettor would like to stake).

In act 130, a supplemental bet may be offered to the bettor in connection with the base bet placed by the bettor. The supplemental bet may be a wager related to the accuracy of the line established for the base bet. There are at least two forms in which the supplemental bet may take depending on whether the line set for the base bet is an integer line (e.g., a line indicating a possible outcome of the event from which a push can arise) or a non-integer line (e.g., a line indicating an impossible outcome of the event from which a push cannot arise). In the case where the line is a possible outcome of the event, the supplemental bet may be a wager that the outcome will fall exactly on the line (e.g., the bettor can bet that a push will arise). As a general matter, when the line reflects a possible outcome of the event, only one or the other of the base bet and the supplemental bet will come in for the bettor. For example, if the supplemental bet comes in, a push occurs in the base bet. In the case in which the bettor's base bet comes in, the bettor will necessarily lose the supplemental bet. If the bettor loses the base bet, the supplemental bet will also not come in for the bettor. Accordingly, in the instance of a line reflecting an actual outcome (e.g., an integer bet), the supplemental bet may be attractive as a hedge against a push in the base bet.

In the case of a non-integer line (e.g., a line having a fractional component that reflects an impossible outcome), the supplemental bet may be a wager wherein the bettor bets that the actual outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed his/her base bet. For example, if the bettor placed a base bet wherein the bettor wagered that the outcome would be over the established line, the supplemental bet offered may be a bet that the actual outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value greater than the line. Similarly, if the bettor placed a base bet wherein the bettor wagered that the outcome would be under the established line, the supplemental bet offered may be a bet that the actual outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value less than the line.

With supplemental bets placed on non-integer lines, the bettor will either lose both bets (i.e., the outcome occurs on the opposite side of the line from the bettor's base bet), the bettor will win both bets (i.e., the outcome falls on the nearest integer value on the side of the line the bettor placed the base bet), or the bettor will win the base bet and lose the supplemental bet (i.e., the outcome falls on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet but not on the nearest integer value from the line.)

To illustrate an example of a supplemental bet in connection with a base bet in which the line is a spread, consider the situation in which a bookmaker offers a bet on a game/event between Competitor A and Competitor B (e.g., Competitor A and Competitor B may be opposing teams in a football game, basketball game, etc.) wherein the bookmaker sets the spread at Team A by 6.5. The bettor may then choose to take Team A (meaning that the bettor believes that Team A will win by more than 6.5 points) or take Team B (meaning that the bettor believes that Team B will lose by less than 6.5 points or that Team B will win).

Once the bettor places the base bet by choosing which side of the line the bettor believes the score differential will occur, the bookmaker may offer a supplemental bet by which the bettor can wager that the outcome of the game/event will result in a score differential at the nearest integer value on the side of the line taken by the bettor (i.e., that Team A will win by exactly 7 if the bettor took Team A or that Team A will win by exactly 6 points if the bettor took Team B). It should be appreciated that this supplemental bet may be offered regardless of what the line represents. That is, the supplemental bet described in the foregoing may be offered on over/under bets corresponding to any outcome of any event or any other type of bet offered on a line, as the aspects of the invention are not limited in this respect.

As an example of a supplemental bet placed against an integer line, consider the above game/event between Competitor A and Competitor B wherein the bookmaker sets the spread at Competitor A by 9. The bettor may then choose to take Team A (meaning that the bettor believes that Team A will win by more than 9 points) or take Team B (meaning that the bettor believes that Team B will lose by less than 9 points or that Team B will win). Once the bettor takes the base bet by choosing which side of the line the bettor believes the score differential will occur, the bookmaker may offer a supplemental bet by which the bettor can wager that the outcome of the game/event will result in a score differential equal to the spread (e.g., 9 points). With integer lines, whether the supplemental bet comes in for the bettor is the same regardless of which side of the line the bettor places the base bet.

According to some embodiments, the supplemental bet may be referred to as a Halfecta™ as it relates to fractional lines (which are often established as half-point lines). However, the trademark Halfecta™ may refer to bets placed on any fractional line. The name Halfecta™ may provide a shorthand way for a bookmaker to refer to at least some of the embodiments of supplemental bets described herein. For example, after a bettor has placed a base bet, the bookmaker may ask the bettor if the bettor would like a Halfecta™ on the base bet. However, the supplemental bets described herein may be referred to in any suitable way that conveys the supplemental bet and its parameters, as the aspects of the invention are not limited this respect.

According to some embodiments, the supplemental bet is offered as an odds bet. Because the likelihood of an outcome occurring precisely on the line or a nearest integer value associated with a non-integer line may be relatively small, a bookmaker may offer the supplemental bet with odds to make the bet more attractive to the bettor. Because the bettor is thereby given the opportunity of a relatively large payout in comparison with a relatively small additional stake, the bettor may find supplementing their base bet an attractive opportunity. From the bookmaker's perspective, the bookmaker may set the odds such that they are attractive to the bettor but still favor the bookmaker (e.g., the bookmaker may have statistics on the likelihood of the supplemental bet coming in for the bettor and set the odds accordingly). In this way, the bookmaker profits from the supplemental bet and the bettor is provided the opportunity to place an odds based bet to supplement an associated base bet.

The supplemental bets described herein can be employed in any type of betting environment in connection with any type of bookmaker including, but not limited to, telephone bookmaking, online gambling services, casino gambling such as sportsbooks, etc., as discussed in further detail below.

FIG. 2 illustrates an online betting system on which aspects of the invention may be implemented. System 200 includes a network 220 interconnecting network enabled devices 210 and/or betting server 230. Network 220 may include one or more networks of any type that allow for remote communications between devices. Network 220 may include one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs) (e.g., the Internet) or may include any other type of network. For example, network 220 may include the Internet and/or may include one or more other networks attached to the Internet. However, any network configuration may be used, as the aspects of the invention are not limited to implementation on any particular network type or configuration.

Network enabled devices 210 may be any device capable of network communication. Non-limiting examples shown in FIG. 2 include personal computer 210 a, personal digital assistant (PDA) 210 b, laptop computer 210 c and cellular telephone 210 d. System 200 also includes a betting server 230 connected via the network. The betting server may be any computing device capable of hosting a gambling service. For example, betting server 230 may be a server capable of providing an online gambling website that offers bets to online bettors. Online bettors may access the gambling website through any available network device 210.

As one example, a bettor may access betting server 200 by entering the universal resource locator (URL) of the betting server. The betting server may then provide one or more webpages to the bettor that present the available bets that the service has to offer. For example, the one or more web pages may present the one or more events and associated lines to the bettor so that the bettor can place desired bet(s). Should the bettor place a bet having an associated line, the betting server may then query the bettor as to whether the bettor would like to place a corresponding supplemental bet using the supplemental betting method described in the foregoing. A supplemental bet may be offered for each bet that is placed in connection with a line, or offered to supplement only designated bets as desired. In the gambling environment described above, betting server 230 and/or the gambling service provided via the network may be considered the bookmaker (with or without the entity that establishes the line) even though the transaction between the bettor and the gambling service may be conducted without human interaction on the server side of the bet. However, one or more persons may be involved in providing the online gambling service, as the aspects of the invention are not limited to any particular method by which the base bet and supplemental bets are offered and/or provided.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer system on which one or more embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. For example, the betting server 230 may be similar to computer 300. It should be appreciated that the illustration in FIG. 3 is intended neither to be a depiction of necessary components for a computing device to operate in accordance with the principles described herein, nor a comprehensive depiction. Computer 300 may comprise at least one processor 302, at least one network adapter 304, and computer-readable storage media 308. Computing device 300 may be, for example, a desktop or laptop personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart mobile phone, a server hosting a web site or serving any other data, an automatic betting device (e.g., a kiosk-style computing device), or any other suitable computing device.

Network adapter 304 may be any suitable hardware and/or software that enables the computer 300 to communicate wired and/or wirelessly with any other suitable computing device over any suitable network. The network may include a wireless access point as well as any suitable wired and/or wireless communication medium or media for exchanging data between two or more computers, including the Internet. Computer-readable storage media 308 may be adapted to store data to be processed and/or instructions to be executed by processor 302. Processor 302 enables processing of data and execution of instructions. The data and instructions may be stored on the computer-readable storage media 308 and may, for example, enable communication between components of the computing device 300.

Computer-readable medium 308 may store information reflecting the base bets being offered and any lines associated with the bets, as indicated by storage locations 310. Computer-readable medium 308 may also store information reflecting supplemental bets and any odds associated with the supplemental bets as indicated by storage locations 310.

The computer-readable storage media 308 may also include a betting application 314 that implements one or more of the methods, or portions of one or more of the methods described in the foregoing. According to some embodiments, the betting application 314 comprises instructions that assist a human user in implementing one or more of the methods, or portions of one or more of the methods described in the foregoing. Betting application 314 may be configured to access the base bets and any associated lines and the supplemental bets and any associated odds to facilitate the implementation of a betting system.

According to some embodiments, betting application 314 provides one or more user interfaces that present the available base bets and any associated lines and the supplemental bets and any associated odds to potential bettors. The betting application 314 may be configured to provide a prompt to query the bettor as to whether the bettor would like to place a supplemental bet once a base bet has been placed. The one or more user interfaces may operate via a local display (see e.g., FIG. 4 below) or presented on a remote device, e.g., such as via a web page to allow a bettor, or an agent (who will in turn interact with or act on behalf of a bettor), to place bets.

While not illustrated in FIG. 3, computer 300 may additionally have one or more components and/or peripherals, including input and output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present the one or more user interfaces and to receive input from a bettor and/or agent. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, pointing devices, such as a mouse, touch screens, etc. As another example, a microphone and speech recognition may be used to take audible input from a bettor and/or agent. It should be appreciated that any number and type of input/output devices may be used, as the aspects of the invention are not limited to implementation on any particular type or configuration of computer system.

FIG. 4A illustrates a system in which an agent assists in placing bets in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. System 400 includes a computer 430 and an agent 480. Computer 430 may include a computer readable medium such as a memory that stores one or more bets that are being offered and are available for a bettor to wager against. Computer 430 may also store lines associated with the one more bets. The lines may be determined by a bookmaker and input or transmitted to computer 430 such that the stored lines are up-to-date with respect to the available bets being offered. Computer 330 may be a stand-alone computer or may be connected to one or more other devices over a network. For example, computer 430 may be similar to embodiments of computer 300 described in connection with FIG. 3.

Agent 480 may be present to assist bettors in placing bets via computer 430 and may or may not be the bookmaker that established the lines stored on computer 430. The agent/computer is a familiar format for placing bets at sportsbooks at casinos, at horse and dog races and other facilities that provide betting/gambling opportunities. FIG. 4B illustrates a method using agent assistance to place bets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Computer 430 may present or offer a number of base bets, at least one of which is associated with a line (act 405). A bettor places a bet with the agent who takes the bet and inputs the bet which is received by computer 430 (act 415). The computer may generate a ticket or receipt as proof that the bettor has placed the bet.

If the bettor does not know the line for a particular bet or is not certain whether a particular bet is being offered, the bettor can inquire with the agent to ascertain whether a bet is available and/or what the line is currently set at. The agent 480 may then query computer 430 as to what base bets are being offered and what the line is set at for bets having an associated line. This information may then be presented to the agent/bettor to assist the bettor in understanding what betting options are available and what are the parameters of the various bets.

As discussed above, once the bettor agrees to place a base bet, the agent may input the bet into the computer. If the base bet has an associated line corresponding to an outcome of an event, the computer may then prompt the agent to query the bettor as to whether the bettor would like to place a supplemental bet in connection with the line associated with the base bet (act 425). If the supplemental bet is odds-based, computer 430 may present the odds to the agent who can communicate the odds to the bettor. As with the base bet, if the bettor decides to place a supplemental bet, the agent may input the supplemental bet into the computer and a ticket or receipt may be given to the bettor acknowledging/confirming the bet and indicating the amount staked on the bet.

FIG. 5A illustrates an automatic betting device on which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. Automatic betting device 500 may include a computer having any combination of components and features described above in connection with computer 300. Automatic betting device 500 may include input and output devices and a betting application that may eliminate the need for a human agent to assist in placing bets. Automatic betting device 500 includes a display 540 (display 540 may be purely an output device or an input/output device such as a touch screen), a keypad 550, a slot 560 adapted to receive a bank card such as a credit card or debit card, and slot 570 for dispensing tickets and/or receipts.

Automatic betting device 500 may be connected to one or more networks to communicate with other network devices. Automatic betting device 500 may be connected to one or more bank networks such that automatic betting device 500 can process banks cards inserted by bettors. Automatic betting device 500 may be located anywhere, for example, in a casino sportsbook, a horse racing or dog racing facility, or in any suitable location to provide bettors with an automated method of placing bets. Automatic betting device 500 may facilitate a relatively user friendly betting experience for bettor's without the need for agent involvement in placing the bets.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating one method of placing bets with the automatic betting device 500. In act 510, the automatic betting device 500 may present one or more available bets to a bettor. For example, the bettor may browse through available bets using the keypad and/or touch screen display (if available) in connection with one or more user interfaces provided by a betting application operating on automatic betting device 500. The automatic betting device may present any lines associated with the various bets being offered. The bettor may place a bet by indicating via keypad/touch screen which bet the user would like to wager on and the amount the bettor would like to stake.

In act 520, automatic betting device 500 receives the bet and may present some acknowledgement/confirmation to the bettor that the bet has been placed. After taking a base bet having an associated line in connection with an outcome of an event, automatic betting device 500 may display a prompt asking the bettor if the bettor would like to place a supplemental bet in connection with the line (530). For example, when the base bet has a non-integer line, the automatic betting device 500 may ask the bettor whether the bettor would like to place a supplemental bet that the outcome will result in the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet. When the base bet has an integer line, the automatic betting device 500 may ask the bettor whether the bettor would like to place a supplemental bet that the outcome will equal the line.

In some embodiments, when the line is a non-integer line, the automatic betting device may ask the bettor whether the bettor would like to place a HALFECTA™ on the base bet. If the supplemental bet is odds-based, the automatic betting device may present the odds of the supplemental bet to the bettor (e.g., via the display). The bettor may then indicate whether he/she would like to take the supplemental bet.

The automatic betting device 500 may print a ticket or receipt indicating the bets placed by the bettor and the amounts at stake and provide the ticket/receipt via slot 570. At some point during the transaction, automatic betting device may prompt the user to insert a bank card (e.g., a credit or debit card) from which the stake (and potentially the vig) may be subtracted. Should one or more bets come in for the bettor, the bettor may use the ticket/receipt to redeem the associated stakes (and any associated vig that was taken) and the corresponding payout(s).

Techniques operating according to the principles described herein may be implemented in any suitable manner. Included in the discussion above are a series of flow charts showing the steps and acts of various processes that operate a betting system. The processing and decision blocks of the flow charts above represent steps and acts that may be included in algorithms that carry out these various processes. Algorithms derived from these processes may be implemented as software integrated with and directing the operation of one or more processors, may be implemented as functionally-equivalent circuits such as a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) circuit or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or may be implemented in any other suitable manner.

It should be appreciated that the flow charts included herein do not depict the syntax or operation of any particular circuit, or of any particular programming language or type of programming language. Rather, the flow charts illustrate the functional information that may be used to fabricate circuits or to implement computer software algorithms to perform the processing of a particular apparatus carrying out the types of techniques described herein. It should also be appreciated that, unless otherwise indicated herein, the particular sequence of steps and acts described in each flow chart is merely illustrative of the algorithms that may be implemented and can be varied in implementations and embodiments of the principles described herein without departing from the invention.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, the techniques described herein may be embodied in computer-executable instructions implemented as software, including as application software, firmware, or any other suitable type of software. Such computer-executable instructions may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and/or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine.

When techniques described herein are embodied as computer-executable instructions, these computer-executable instructions may be implemented in any suitable manner, including as a number of functional modules, each providing one or more operations needed to complete execution of algorithms operating according to these techniques. A “functional module,” however instantiated, is a structural component of a computer system that, when integrated with and executed by one or more computers, causes the one or more computers to perform a specific operational role. A functional module may be a portion of or an entire software element. For example, a functional module may be implemented as a function of a process, or as a discrete process, or as any other suitable unit of processing. If techniques described herein are implemented as multiple functional modules, each functional module may be implemented in its own way; all need not be implemented the same way. Additionally, these functional modules may be executed in parallel or serially, as appropriate, and may pass information between one another using a shared memory on the computer(s) on which they are executing, using a message passing protocol, or in any other suitable way.

Generally, functional modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically, the functionality of the functional modules may be combined or distributed as desired in the systems in which they operate. In some implementations, one or more functional modules carrying out techniques herein may together form a complete software package, for example, as a software program application to carry out a betting system in any suitable computing device or any suitable computer system to permit bettors to place bets.

As discussed above, a betting system can be implemented at least in part as: a web site through which bettors can place bets; software executing on a computing device in the form of a kiosk through which bettors can place bets; a computing device in the form of a computer used by an agent that can assist in the taking of bets; or any other suitable computing device or computer system. Some examples of techniques for operating computing devices or computer systems in which some embodiments may act are described above, though it should be appreciated that others are possible. Further, it should be appreciated that some embodiments are not limited to being implemented in computing devices or computer systems.

Computer-executable instructions implementing the techniques described herein (when implemented as one or more functional facilities or in any other manner) may, in some embodiments, be encoded on one or more computer-readable storage media to provide functionality to the storage media. These media include magnetic media such as a hard disk drive, optical media such as a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), a persistent or non-persistent solid-state memory (e.g., Flash memory, Magnetic RAM, etc.), or any other suitable storage media. Such a computer-readable storage medium may be implemented as computer-readable storage media 308 of FIG. 3 described above (i.e., as a portion of a computer 300) or as a stand-alone, separate storage medium. It should be appreciated that, as used herein, a “computer-readable media,” including “computer-readable storage media,” refers to tangible storage media having at least one physical property that may be altered in some way during a process of recording data thereon.

In some, but not all, implementations in which the techniques may be embodied as computer-executable instructions, these instructions may be executed on one or more suitable computing device(s) operating in any suitable computer system, including the exemplary computer system of FIGS. 3, 4A and 5A. Functional modules that comprise these computer-executable instructions may be integrated with and direct the operation of a single multi-purpose programmable digital computer apparatus, a coordinated system of two or more multi-purpose computer apparatuses sharing processing power and jointly carrying out the techniques described herein, a single computer apparatus or coordinated system of computer apparatuses (co-located or geographically distributed) dedicated to executing the techniques described herein, one or more Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for carrying out the techniques described herein, or any other suitable system.

Embodiments of the invention have been described where the techniques are implemented in circuitry and/or computer-executable instructions. It should be appreciated that the invention may be embodied as a method, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.

Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only. 

1. A method for betting comprising: offering a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event; receiving indication that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line; and offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be greater than the line and wherein offering the supplemental bet comprises offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value greater than the line.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be less than the line and wherein offering the supplemental bet comprises offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value less than the line.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental bet is offered with odds.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outcome of the event is a score differential in a game between a first competitor and a second competitor and the line is a corresponding spread.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outcome of the event is a number of occurrences during the event and the line is an over/under line for the number of occurrences that will result.
 7. At least one computer readable medium having instruction stored thereon, the instructions, when executed on at least one processor, performing a betting method comprising: offering a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event; receiving indication that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line; and offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.
 8. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be greater than the line and wherein offering the supplemental bet comprises offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value greater than the line.
 9. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be less than the line and wherein offering the supplemental bet comprises offering a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value less than the line.
 10. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the supplemental bet is offered with odds.
 11. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the outcome of the event is a score differential in a game between a first competitor and a second competitor and the line is a corresponding spread.
 12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the outcome of the event is a number of occurrences during the event and the line is an over/under line for the number of occurrences that will result.
 13. A computer system for placing bets comprising: at least one input to receive an indication that a bettor has placed a bet; at least one computer readable medium to store at least one bet having an associated line; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one input and the at least one computer readable medium, the processor configured to offer a base bet having a line associated with an outcome of an event, receive indication from the at least one input that a bettor has placed the base bet on a side of the line, and offer a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will equal the line if the line is an integer line, or that the outcome of the event will equal the nearest integer value on the side of the line on which the bettor placed the base bet if the line is a non-integer line.
 14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be greater than the line and wherein the at least one processor is configured to offer a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value greater than the line.
 15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the bettor, via the base bet, wagers that the outcome of the event will be less than the line and wherein the at least one processor is configured to offer a supplemental bet to the bettor that the outcome of the event will fall on the nearest integer value less than the line.
 16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the supplemental bet is offered with odds.
 17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the outcome of the event is a score differential in a game between a first competitor and a second competitor and the line is a spread.
 18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the outcome of the event is a number of occurrences during the event and the line is an over/under line for the number of occurrences that will result. 